Path: utzoo!attcan!uunet!cs.utexas.edu!sun-barr!olivea!mintaka!bloom-beacon!eru!hagbard!sunic!mcsun!hp4nl!ecn!bernards
From: bernards@ecn.nl (Marcel Bernards)
Newsgroups: comp.periphs.scsi
Subject: SCSI Cable Extender/Buffer
Message-ID: <1990Oct23.081426.22374@ecn.nl>
Date: 23 Oct 90 08:14:26 GMT
Organization: Netherlands Energy Research Foundation ECN
Lines: 50

Hi,

Just a silly question perhaps, but I'm asking anyway.

As a Sun System Manager I'm doing a lot of installation/upgrade
jobs. For these purposes I purchased The SunCD and a desktop QIC-150
1/4" cartridge tape unit.

As the SCSI bus wants all devices in a single chain with the 
terminators at the end, it's quite annoying shutting down my SLC
every time I have to uncable my desktop stuff for an installation job.

The present configuration is like this

SLC--TAPE--CD--WRENVI-TERMINATOR

What I'm looking for is a small patch box whith buffers in it,
which allows to connect SCSI devices in a star shape, and allows
to disconnect the devices safely without shutting my SLC down.

Like this:

            +------------------WREN_VI----TERMINATOR 
            | +----------------SUN-CDROM--TERMINATOR
            | | +--------------SUN-QIC150-TERMINATOR
            | | | +------------EXTRA------TERMINATOR
          +-+-+-+-+---+
          [ # # # # # ]
SLC-------#           ]--INTERNAL_BOX_TERMINATOR
          [ o o o o o ]
          +-----------+

# = SCSI connector SCSI-1 or SCSI-2 Type
o = Disable switch


I wonder if this is available somewhere.
If not, I possibly plug in my soldering iron and hack it together
myself.

Suggestions Welcome

Please E-mail


-- 
Marcel Bernards, UNIX & Net sysadm Netherlands Energy Research Foundation ECN
P.O. Box 1, 1755 ZG Petten, PHONE: (+31 /0)2246 4579 FAX: (+31 /0)2246 1864
EMAIL: bernards@ecn.nl ..!hp4nl!ecn!bernards EARN/BITNET:ESU0130@HPEENR51 
SCREAMNet : AAAAAARGHH!HUH?? : Disclaimer: "The AntiChrist is the Computer !"